Bunny Hugs Baby Hat

I recently discovered that Canadians call hoodies "bunny hugs". As in, newspapers could read "Roving bands of teenagers, dressed in sagging pants and bunny hugs, broke into the local gas station". O, Canada. I've never met you, but I love you. This hat is uber girly. It's made from 100% alpaca and is a baby pink. Softest yarn and the softest color. So what else could I do than put it on my baby nephew?

Hey girl.

I think this hat would be super cute in brighter, funner colors. But, maybe the world needs a few more super soft, baby pink hats.

Bunny Hugs

This hat is worked top down.

Supplies

20 grams Blue Sky sport weight 100% baby alpaca (50 g/110 yards) in petal

50 grams Blue Sky sport weight 100% baby alpaca (50 g/110 yards) in natural

Size 4 dpns

Notes

Gauge: 22 sts x 32 rows blocked stocknette stitch = 4 inches (10 cm)

Finished size: 14.5" (16") circumference - smaller size should fit 0-12 months, larger would fit a toddler

K - knit

P - purl

M1 - Make one using the increase of your choice. I knit one in front and back.

SSK - slip slip knit

K2tog - Knit 2 sts together

Crown

With the white yarn, cast on 2 stitches onto each of two of the DPNs (4 total). Join to work in the round.

• Round 1 and all odd rounds: Knit all stitches.
• Round 2: M1 in all sts (8 total). Spread the stitches across 4 dpns, so you have two stitches on each needle.
• Round 4: *K1 M1 Repeat from * (16 total)
• Round 6: *K2 M1 Repeat from * (24 total)
• Round 8: *K3 M1 Repeat from * (32 total)
• Round 10: *K4 M1 Repeat from * (40 total)
• Round 12: *K5 M1 Repeat from * (48 total)
• Round 14: *K6 M1 Repeat from * (56 total)
• Round 16: *K7 M1 Repeat from * (64 total
• Round 18: *K8 M1 Repeat from * (72 total)
• Round 20: *K9 M1 Repeat from * (80 total) - For infant size, proceed to knit even stitches
• For toddler size - Round 22: *K10 M1 Repeat from * (88 ttl)

Knit even until work measures 5" (5.5")  from crown.

Not on a baby

Ear Flaps

Bind off 20 (24)  stitches. This is the front of the hat.

Work 6 rows of stockinette on the remaining stitches.

Repeat next two rows 3 times -

• K1, m1, k to final 2 sts, m1, k1
• Purl

K1, m1, k18, ssk, k1, move the worked stitches onto scrap yarn, BO20 (24), k1, k2tog, k18, m1, k1

Work Ear Flaps

Work 4 times:

• Purl
• K1, k2tog, k to end

Repeat 2 times:

• Purl
• K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1

Purl to end

Bind off  until 3 sts remain.

Work an i-cord until it is 9 inches long. Break yarn, and weave end through remaining sts.

Transfer the remaining stitches onto the needle for the other ear flap.

Work 4 times:

• Purl
• K1, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1

Repeat 2 times:

• Purl
• K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1

Purl bind off until 3 sts remain

Work an i-cord until it is 9 inches long. Break yarn, and weave end through remaining sts.

Edging

• Set the body of the hat aside. With contrasting color, create a 9" i-cord.
• Join to hat next to one of the existing i-cords, and knit on an i-cord along the edge of the hat (tutorial here) until you reach the cord at the end of the opposite flap.
• Work 9" of loose i-cord. Break yarn, and weave end through remaining sts.

Repeat to create an i-cord edging across the other side of the hat.

Poof.

Finishing

Block hat to 7.25" (8") wide and 8.5" (9") from crown to the tip of the earflaps.

Braid i-cords together.

Make two pom-poms (here's a tutorial), and sew one to the end of each i-cord braid, securing the braid together.

Weave in ends.

Real men wear pink

Modern Zig Zag Baby Quilt

featurephoto

Once the wheels touched down from our honeymoon, it apparently made it officially okay to ask when kids will come. Not for a long time, people. Until we decide that sleep is for the weak and disposable income is for the shallow, other people's kids will do just fine.

A lot of living can be done vicariously. I highly recommend it as a time management technique. Scratch the baby itch by snuggling with a nephew or listening to the sleepless horror stories of a new mom. Travel with no threat of food poisoning by flipping through your high school nemesis' Facebook pics. Enjoy an amazing career with none of the late hours by watching any of the  new entrepreneur reality shows.

Vicarious living is all upside without all that pesky hard work and failure.

So, here's a new quilt to welcome a new little one to one of the cutest families I know. May he bring joy and delight to your lives, and to the lives of all those living vicariously through you. And, uh, please don't hold it against me that I posted this on the internet before giving it to you. I have no patience.

modernbabyquilt

Zig Zags for Baby

Materials

1.25 yards white 44" quilting fabric

.5 yards of each of four different solid or semi-solid 44" quilting fabric. I used Thomas Knauer's  Twirl in Red, Gold, Green and Blue from the Frippery collection

1 5/8 yards 44" backing fabric

3/8 yards binding fabric

Sewing thread and other notions

Finished size: 40" x 55"

Making the Main Blocks

Block A

From each of the colored fabrics:

• Cut two strips that are 5" x the length of the fabric
• Cut each strip down to twelve 3.5" x 5" rectangles

Block B

• From the white fabric, cut sixteen strips that are 2" by the length of fabric
• From each of the colored fabrics, cut two strips that are 2" by the length of fabric
• Sew each colored strip to a white strip
• Press seams toward the colored fabric

blockBpart1

• Cut each created strip down in 3.5" pieces, creating blocks that are 3" x 3.5"
• Cut the remaining 2" white strips down to 2" x 3.5" pieces
• Sew 2" x 3.5" white piece to the top of the 3" x 3.5" white and colored pieces, making sure the colored portion is on the bottom left
• Press seams

Block B Finished

Sew block A to the matching color block B, so that the colored portions are touching.

blocks

Lay out Top

Lay out the blocks to create the zig zag pattern. Starting at the top left of the quilt, create a column of six blocks. Keep an eye toward making sure you use each color before repeating. If you want to have the color ordered differently, it will likely alter the number of blocks needed of each color.

Lay out the second column while keeping the colors in order and lining up the white zig zags. There will be gaps at the top and bottom of every second and third column.

zigzag-quilt

Go back through and fill in the gaps with the remaining blocks. You will trim off the excess, so this is a good place to use mistakes, or only partially completed blocks.

Sew the blocks into the strips. Press the seams very well.

Pin the strips so that the white zig zags line up, with the bottom of the horizontal white strip aligning with the bottom of the vertical white strip to its left. This can be a bit tricky, so double check that it looks right before sewing.

Press all seams very well.

Trim the top and bottom of the quilt, so you have a straight edge.

closeup

Back, quilt and bind your piece.

quilt back

Baby Season

I'm waiting for science to prove that children, like tomatoes and trashy television, come in seasons. Friends, family and coworkers are bringing home bundles of joy left and right, and here is another welcome quilt.  Despite doing more quilting in the last few months than in the prior year, this officially puts the baby gift stockpile at one quilt. It's possible my friends like each other too much. I tend to be more attracted to color and texture, rather than than cute prints. If anyone asks, it's because I'm too classy for the cutesy prints, and not at all because my brain shorts out when I look at a pile of combating colors, shapes, and sizes.

But Ed Emberley's "Happy Drawings" collection is too ridiculously little boy to pass on. Alligators, elephants and dragons. Random, sure, but so are boys. The patterns cover a range of sizes and tones, so putting together a design that would let each fabric sing was a bit of a challenge.

The end result is below. I'm pretty pumped. I think it's nephew-worthy.

You will notice that this quilt is hopelessly nameless. A girl only has so much creativity, people. "Sapphires and Rubies" depleted my already parched well. So the good people over at FaveQuilts.com are having a little fun with it, and asking their readers to come up with name in their next newsletter. Have a clever suggestion to add? Leave it in the comments below.  

Edit 7/23: We have a name! Thanks everyone for voting.

Off to the Zoo Baby Quilt

Finished size: 32"x54"

Supplies

• 1 yard sashing fabric
• Fat Quarters or scrap fabrics. At minimum, you need five fat quarters, but you can use as many fabrics as you would like.
• Backing fabric (I pieced my back from scraps)
• 3/8 yard binding fabric
• Batting and other quilting notions

Cut

From the fat quarters or scrap fabric, cut the following:

• 12 - 6.5" squares
• 12 - 2.5"x6.5"
• 24 - 3.5"x6.5"
• 12 - 2.5"x3.5"
• 12 - 2.5" squares

From the sashing fabric, cut the following:

• 67 - 1.5"x6.5"
• 12 - 1.5"x2.5"
• 8 - 1.5"x49" (if you are using 40" width fabric, you will need to piece these)

Piece Blocks

Sew 12 of each block type. You should have one left over when you layout the quilt top.

Block A

• Sew the 1.5"x6.5" sashing to the top of the 6.5" squares
• Press seam toward darker fabric

Block B

For blocks B and C, you can change the orientation of the rectangles in order to accommodate the pattern direction and to add more variety.

•  Sew the 1.5"x6.5" sashing to the side of the 3.5"x6.5" rectangle
• Press seam toward darker fabric
• Sew the 2.5"x6.5" rectangle to the other side of the sashing
• Sew the 1.5"x6.5" sashing to the side of the block

Block C

•  Sew the 1.5"x6.5" sashing to the side of the 3.5"x6.5" rectangle
• Press seam toward darker fabric
• Sew the 1.5"x2.5" sashing to the bottom of the 2.5"x3.5" rectangle
• Press seam to the darker fabric
• Sew the 2.5" square to the other side of the sashing on the 2.5"x3.5"
• Press seam toward darker fabric
• Sew this piece to the other side of the sashing on the 3.5"x6.5" piece
• Press seam toward darker fabric
• Sew the 1.5"x6.5" sashing to the side of the block

Piecing Top

Randomly layout the finished blocks into 5 rows by 7 columns.

Sew the blocks in each column together so you have five columns of seven blocks.

Press the seams.

Sew sashing fabric to the side of each column, and sew the columns together.

Sew sashing to the final side.

Press all seams and sew sashing across the bottom.

Press seams.

Finishing

Back, bind and quilt your baby quilt.

I pieced the back, using the fabric provided in the packet of fat quarters which was intended as a draft dodger. I totally planned to have beige on either side of the green - I didn't just make a horrible measuring mistake that I had to cover up. I would never make such an rookie mistake.

Sapphires and Rubies Baby Quilt Pattern

Just a few days officially into summer, and I'm reminded of all the reasons this is my least favorite season. Sure, winter is dark and cold, but it's a game of endurance and mental distraction. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about the outdoors in winter, so hunker down, put on a sweater, and keep yourself busy. It is the seasonal equivalent of a graduation ceremony - no one wants to be there, but here we are and there's no point in whining. Summer, on the hand, puts forth a plethora of delights.  The sun stays up later than I do, there are things to grow, bodies of water to jump in, sports to play, carnivals to entertain. All of these things sound so wonderful. But then Summer layers heat on humidity on bug bites on sunburns and then screams right in your face, "ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET!?". No, Summer, I am not, and you're kind of an idiot. Summer is that guy that thinks a concert isn't hopping unless people are suffering permanent hearing loss.

So, while everyone else is outside pretending like feeding chiggers is SO MUCH FUN, I finished a quilt, holing myself up in where my air conditioner was barely keeping up. I'm really hoping that is due to the giant pot of wort (for beer), the washing machine, dishwasher and baking pan of brownies (if they're Paleo, it's okay to eat a fourth of the pan!*), and not the AC giving up hope.

It's for the sister of the owner of this quilt, who should be arriving any day. I suppose this pattern could have worked just fine as a two-color quilt, but I liked the idea of toying with a contrast color, just to make things more interesting. And, since baby makes four, I settled on this.

*this is not true, but I won't judge.

Sapphires and Rubies Baby Quilt

Finished size: 37" x 54" to fit a crib

Supplies

• 1 yard main color (blue)
• .25 yard contrast color (pink)
• 1 yard background color (beige) - 1 yard gives you no room for error, so you might consider buying a little extra.
• 1.75 yards backing fabric
• 3/8 yards for binding - if you are using the main color for the binding, you need 1.25 yards total of the main color
• Batting and typical quilting notions

Cut

From the main fabric, cut:

• 28 - 5" squares
• 14 - 5  3/4" squares

From the secondary fabric, cut:

• 4 - 5" squares
• 2 - 5  3/4" squares

From the background fabric, cut:

• 32 - 5" squares
• 64 - 3 1/8" squares

Piece Blocks

With the 5 3/4" squares and the 3 1/8" squares, create 64 flying geese following this 4-at-a-time tutorial. Quilting chalk will make it much easier to get .25" seams.

Sew your well pressed flying geese to the top and bottom of 5" square in the corresponding colors.

Press seams toward the center. You will have 32 total 'gems' - 28 in your main color and 4 in the contrast color.

Sew a 5" background square to each gem, and press seams.

Piecing Top

Each piece has a background side where the background square was sewn and a gem-side where the point of a flying geese block is. The gems are sewn into four rows of 8, alternating having the gem on the left and the gem on the right.

Starting each row with the gem on the left, sew:

• Two rows of all main color gems.
• One row that is 2 main, 3 contrast, 3 main.
• One row that is 3 main, 1 contrast, 4 main.

Press all seams well.

Sew the rows together in the same order they are listed.

Press all seams well.

Finishing

Back, bind and quilt your new baby quilt.

Scrap Baby Quilt

Posts have been light, as I've been busy being non-crafty. It's my final semester of grad school (I'd do a victory lap if I wasn't so tired). After finishing some important tests for school, I rewarded myself by ordering the wedding ring shawl. For the non-knitters among you, this thing is epic. A knitted marathon. The overview of the instructions is 18 pages, and it uses about 3,500 yards of gossamer weight yarn (a sweater uses about 1,000 yards).  I'm expecting it to take a year to complete. When finished, the 72" square shawl is supposed to be so delicate that the whole thing can slide, tip to tip, through a wedding band.I think I have a thing for conquering obscenely difficult things.

But, this weekend I was on Spring Break, so it seemed like a good time for something fast and easy that would clean some scraps. I made a baby quilt top for one of the many babies being gestated among my friends and family.

The idea behind this quilt is that it can become a game to play with the wee one when on the floor. There are two blocks of each fabric, so you can point out one fabric or color and have the kiddo jump to the matching block. I think this could be a fun way to teach colors and shapes.

Matching Game Quilt

Finished size

46" square

Supplies

• 18 pairs of 6.5" squares of scrap fabric
• .5 yard Color A for sashing
• 5/8ths Color B for sashing (the +)
• 50" x 50" Batting
• 1 1/3rd yards backing fabric
• 1/3rd yard for binding
• Yarn for tieing
• Thread and other common quilting notions

Cutting

From Color A, cut eight 2" strips the width of the fabric. Cut these down to eighty-four 2"x3.5" pieces (A1).

From Color B, cut ten 2" strips the width of the fabric. Cut these down to:

• Thirty-five 5"x2" pieces (B1)
• Fourteen 3.5"x2" pieces (B2)
• Eighty-four 2" squares (B3)

Piecing

Sew all seams at .25" inches.

Sashing

Create forty-two vertical bars by sewing a 2" square of Color B to either side of a 2"x3.5" piece of Color A (or B3-A1-B3). Press seams.

Create seven rows of sashing by sewing B2, A1, B1, A1, B1, A1, B1, A1, B1, A1, B1, A1, B2. Press seams.

Rows

Sew the vertical bars to each of the 6.5" squares and press seams.

Lay the blocks in a six by six grid how you'd like the final quilt to look, being careful not to have matching blocks near each other.

Sew the blocks together to form the rows, and add a final vertical bar to the end. Press seams.

Alternating a row of sashing then a row of blocks, then sew the rows together until all have been sewn. Press the top of the quilt well.

Finishing

Back and bind.